Due to much interest in gardening, many different systems, both indoor and outdoor, have been developed in the past. These focus, for the most part, on growing vegetation in an area of limited space. However, the currently issued patents tend to also limit the amount and type of vegetation that can be grown and due to the design of some, virtually eliminate the opportunity to grow garden vegetables such as tomatoes and herbs.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,676 issued to J. Lund on Sep. 17, 1996, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,381,625 issued to R. Wente on Jan. 17, 1995 detail upright planters with a plurality of holes, in the sides, from which vegetation can grow. These systems can have a built in watering system and optional timer. However, these systems are limited by the fact that minimal vegetation can be grown out the sides, it must be placed within reach of an electric supply, and the vegetation grown could not be fruit bearing, i.e. tomatoes and the like, without the weight of the maturing fruit bending or breaking the limbs and stalks of the plants. The present invention, by growing the plants upside down, eliminates the weight of the fruit pulling the plant down at an unnatural angle in relation to the straightness of a plant""s stem. It is hanging upside down and supported by its roots within the grow box. The branches of the vegetation hang straight down and, in this way, the fruit causes no damage to the plant as it matures. This unique growing method allows multiple varieties of plants to be grown in this system at one time.
For soil gardening, there must be sufficient soil area to allow the root structure of the plants to grow and spread without becoming xe2x80x98root boundxe2x80x99. There are many decorative planters that have been invented which appeal aesthetically such as the xe2x80x98Natural Appearing Planterxe2x80x99 as detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,867,938 issued on Feb. 9, 1999 to J. DiLernia. This patent details a planter which is meant to appear as a natural log or tree with openings in to which plants can be introduced. Unfortunately, this type of planting system does not contain sufficient soil space to grow multiple garden plants or varieties. The limitation of soil area requires the gardener to carefully consider the root requirements of a plant before introducing it to this type of planter. The present invention provides a large soil area and by allowing growth upside down, expands the vegetation choices of a limited space gardener.
Hydroponic systems have an appeal to those with limited space also but as U.S. Pat. No. 5,394,647 issued to J. Blackford, Jr. details, space for bushy plants is clearly limited again. Garden plants that obtain any marginal height or width, such as tomatoes or herbs, have their outward and upward growth thwarted by the tops and sides of such closed or partially closed systems. The present invention allows the gardener to grow herbs and other garden plants in a traditionally upright position, out of the top of the grow box, while allowing vining plants to grow out of the bottom in the upside down position.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,284 issued to B. Williams on Oct. 9, 1990 once again, restricts the lower branch grow and fruit bearing capabilities due to constriction of growth between the slats of the invention. As with U.S. Pat. No. 5,752,341 issued to Goldfarb on May 19, 1998 which details another type of vertical sectional system, also posing restrictions on the number of plants grown and ability to spread out and bear fruit.
Many modular indoor planting systems have been developed such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,996,280 issued to R. Michailiuk on Dec. 7, 1999. This system is expandable, thus making it able to grow more plant life, but requires an amount of floor or counter space that may not be convenient for all indoor gardeners to provide. Obviously, the more plants grown, the more modules must be added and therefore, the more space is required. The present invention grows a multitude of plants and requires minimal space. In addition, it can be moved at will to accommodate all types of environs.
While the tier-type system as detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,438,797 issued to G. Lendel on Aug. 8, 1995, does not require an undue amount of floor space, it does require the gardener to carefully choose what can be grown on each level. This system can be increased to contain many tiers but can become unwieldy if heavy fruit bearing plants are grown on or near the top tiers. A collapse of the unit could irrevocably damage the structure and plant life contained therein. The present invention""s grow box and bases are carefully aligned and balanced such that the additional weight from soil and plant life makes the structure more secure and stable on its bases, regardless of the plant variety grown.
Further aspects and advantages of this invention will become more evident after consideration is given to the following detailed description of the preferred exemplary embodiments.
The portable upside down gardening system according to the present invention consists of two cylindrical tubes, hollow or solid, which when joined by a collar, become the assembled center support for the grow box. The grow box contains a center hole and sleeve for insertion of the assembled center support. The opposing end of the assembled center support is inserted into a sleeve attached to the small base, which in turn is attached or molded to the large base, which provides the assembled unit with the necessary stability. The grow box contains a plurality of holes in the bottom which allow vegetation to be grown upside down out of the bottom of the grow box as well as right side up, out of the top in the traditional manner. This unique invention allows gardeners who have limited space, such as patios or balconies, to grow more plants in a smaller area, with the ability to move their xe2x80x98gardenxe2x80x99 to a new location at will.